Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty scored 36 points in a 91-82 win against the Atlanta Dream. This tied a franchise playoff record. With this victory, the Liberty move on to the WNBA semifinals. They will face the Las Vegas Aces, who are led by MVP A’ja Wilson.
Sabrina Ionescu Biography
Name | Sabrina Ionescu |
Age | 26 years |
Net worth | $5 million |
Country | American |
After the game, Ionescu said the team aims to win their first championship. However, they are focused on one game at a time.
“The ultimate goal is clear. Each game feels like a championship game on the way to that goal,” she said, according to the Associated Press. Winning these two games was really important for us.
Even though they were eliminated, Atlanta showed some fight after a rough Game 1.”
The Dream started strong, taking a double-digit lead over the Liberty. Allisha Gray led the way with 26 points.
But Sabrina Ionescu quickly found her shooting touch, hitting five three-pointers. She helped rally the Liberty, setting up a rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals.
Last year, the Liberty lost 3-1 to the Aces, who won their second straight title. This time, New York hopes for a better result.
Aces Aim for Third Straight Championship
To win their first WNBA title, New York must find a way to stop A’ja Wilson. She helped the Las Vegas Aces sweep the Seattle Storm in their playoff series.
On Tuesday, the Aces won 83-76 as they aim for their third straight championship. No team has achieved this since the Houston Comets won the first four titles in league history from 1997 to 2000.
A’ja Wilson had a great game against Seattle, scoring 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Kelsey Plum also had a great game, scoring a team-high 29 points and getting six rebounds.
Wilson continues to break records this season. She just surpassed Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker by reaching 20 points and at least 10 rebounds in the playoffs for the 13th time, according to AP.
The Aces started strong on Tuesday, making nine straight shots to take a 23-7 lead with 5:15 left in the first quarter.
However, Seattle didn’t back down. They even took the lead for the first time with 7:58 left in the fourth quarter.
The Aces went on a 7-0 run to take the lead for good and managed to hold off the tough Storm team. This win secured their sixth straight trip to the playoff semifinals.
Now, Las Vegas will head to New York to play the Liberty in Game 1 of the best-of-five series on Sunday.
After the win, Kelsey Plum praised the Liberty, saying, “New York is a much better team than last year. They’re bigger and shoot better. We need to focus on ourselves. Sometimes, we make things more difficult than they need to be. They beat us all three times this season, so this is a fresh start.
“They’ve done a great job to earn the No. 1 seed, so we know it’ll be a tough challenge.”
Conclusion
In the WNBA playoffs, the stage is set for an exciting semifinal matchup between the Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu and the Aces’ MVP A’ja Wilson. Both players are key to their teams’ success and are looking to lead their squads to victory. With Ionescu aiming for redemption after last year’s finals loss and Wilson striving for a third straight championship, fans can expect a thrilling series ahead!
FAQS
Sabrina Ionescu is currently not married, but she has been linked to fellow athlete and former college basketball player, Edy Tavares.
Yes, Sabrina Ionescu is of Greek descent. Her parents are immigrants from Greece, and she holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Greece.
As of 2023, Sabrina Ionescu’s salary is approximately $72,000 as a WNBA player, but her earnings can increase significantly with endorsements and sponsorships.
Sabrina Ionescu regarded Kobe Bryant as a mentor and inspiration. He supported her career and offered guidance, and their relationship highlighted his influence on young athletes.